How The Lion Loves The Lamb
by blackredmoon
Summary: In a world of vampires, there is bound to be an enemy to them. Charley, a Day Class student, falls in love with Senri Shiki, but what will they do when they find out they are in fact supposed to be enemies? Shiki/ZeroxOC, Rated M for lemon/violence.
1. Sweet, sweet chocolates

_Hello everyone, firstly I want to apologise for the crappy use of language in the coming story - I need to use a dictionary to find the right words at some points... - seeing as I'm not natively from an English-speaking country. Also, the original of this story was first person, so some bits might've come out a little awkward... anyway, hope you'll enjoy despite all that! ^^_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Sweet, sweet chocolates<strong>

Charley was staring blankly at the black board in front of her. Only a few more minutes until classes were over and she was eager to leave. Today, she had to be the first at the gate to the Moon Dorms, so she'd be first in line to give away Valentine chocolates. If only her classmates would know the Night Class students were vampires... that'd definitely scare them away for good.

"Charley?" A sweet girl's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find Demy, her best friend, who was sitting beside her, staring at her. "Hey, weren't we going to leave soon? You know..." she giggled "... our so called toilet-break?"

"Don't worry," Charley said with a nervous smile, "I'll give the sign for go."

Just a few more minutes... Charley would be first to go and Demy would follow, that's what they had agreed on. They'd wait for each other at the gates.

The last seconds ticked away. With her heart beating in her throat, Charley stood up from her chair, raising her hand.

"I need to go to the toilet, please!" she announced and left her place without waiting for the answer. Closing the class doors behind her, she sped through the hallway. Outside, the sun was shining. The light on the white walls blinded her.

Upon her enrolling Cross Academy, the headmaster had been in doubt of where to place her. Her foster parents, who were both vampires, had told him about her origins; she was a half-blood werewolf, a small gift her father had left for her and her mother before he left his family. The woman had died giving birth to her. Eventually, it had been decided that Charley had to be placed in the Day Class, because it would be too much of a risk to have a werewolf stay among young vampires and since she wasn't a threat to humans, she'd be safer with them. But she knew about the existence of vampires, so she knew about the Night Class. And because she was a werewolf, she didn't like the sunlight very much.

Outside it was chilly. Charley hid in the bushes by the gates waiting for Demy to appear. It took about ten minutes before the girl showed up. She smiled brightly as she joined her friend in the thicket.

"Whom are you giving chocolates to this year?" Charley asked. Demy let out a chuckle.

"Idol-senpai," she replied with a blush. Charley grinned. Demy had been giving Aidou-senpai chocolates since the year she got to know him.

"What about you? Going for Shiki-senpai again?" Charley felt her blood rushing to her cheeks. Demy didn't wait for her reply.

"You know it's no use giving him anything," she said. "Shiki-senpai is with that Rima girl. He won't even remember you even if he saw you every day. On top of that, Aidou-senpai might come and shoot you if he likes you!"

Demy's words were harsh, but Charley knew they were probably true. Shiki-senpai would never feel anything for a common Day Class student. He was the only reason that Charley would risk her life and move into the Night Class, but she knew that was out of the question. She'd have to do with her allowance to take nightly walks, try to peek through his window from her favourite branch. She'd occasionally help Yuuki-chan and Zero-kun out when they were on the hunt to find other Day Class students. They were rather easy to smell...

A bell rang in the distance, announcing the end of classes for the Day Class. Voices began to fill the school's yard. Without thinking, Charley jumped out of the bushes and went to stand casually at Shiki-senpai's gate, while Demy headed toward Aidou-senpai's. Reaching into her school bag, Charley took out a little box, wrapped in beautifully white paper. It contained two chocolates, one shaped like an S, which stood for Shiki, and the other shaped like a C, which obviously stood for Charley. She pressed them against her chest for a second, wishing hard that Shiki-senpai wouldn't give them away to Rima-san. Her heart started to beat faster as she saw her classmates approaching the gates as well. A lot of them joined Demy at Aidou-senpai's gate; some of them who had given chocolates to Shiki-senpai last year had given up on him as well and were waiting at other gates now. She watched as Yuuki and Zero appeared too, just in time to keep a few girls from trying to climb over the fences. She threw a smile at Yuuki, who smiled back at her.

Time was going so slow waiting at the gate while the other girls behind her – some of which she knew, but some of which were strangers to her – were also at Shiki-senpai's gate. It had to be hers and Shiki-senpai's gate alone! Maybe if he'd get chocolates only from her, he'd talk to her for a change. If only she could hear his sweet voice talking to her once, she'd be happy for the rest of her life. If he'd only once share a pocky with her, she'd melt in his arms. And if he'd just once brush his beautiful lips across her hand... well... she'd probably die...

Then the gates opened. Charley's heart skipped a beat as the Night Class students came walking through. Her eyes were glued on Shiki-senpai's face as soon as he came into view. His brown hair fell smoothly across his face, his blue eyes glittered in the sunlight. She didn't even hear Yuuki shout orders around, but simply watched Shiki approaching the gate. Butterflies began to swarm in her tummy.

While the girls behind her began to scream so loud it could instantly make one deaf, Charley just took a deep breath, ignoring the tugging on her school uniform and stepped forward. Saying nothing, she offered the small box to the drop-dead gorgeous vampire in front of her, on the other side of the fence. His captivating eyes forced her to drown in them and never avert her gaze. The sounds around her seemed very dull all of a sudden and the environment was a blurry haze of colours. Only Shiki-senpai, in all his beauty, was as clear as the full moon to her.

Something soft touched her hand from below. She didn't realise what it was until Shiki's fingers entwined slightly with hers before he retrieved the box from her hand.

"Thank you," he said quietly as he slipped the small box into the pocket of his uniform.

Charley was going to say something back, but as soon as the girls behind her had noticed that Shiki had taken her box, they pulled her away from him and forced themselves forward. She felt sad as soon as she found herself all the way behind the group of Shiki-enthusiasts, but on the other hand, she felt as excited as could be. After all, her chocolates wouldn't end up underneath a huge pile of boxes, because they were safely inside Shiki's uniform. Could that mean he'd keep them? She let out a sigh of relief before she turned around to meet up with a way too enthusiastic Demy, who kept telling her about Aidou-senpai shooting her for the remainder of the day. But Charley only half listened; her thoughts were dwelling around Shiki-senpai and the chocolates...


	2. Meeting under the Moon

**Chapter 2 – Meeting under the Moon**

With a scarf wrapped around her neck, Charley proceeded through the woods around the school building. It was cold that night. The light of the full moon prickled on her skin, like the sun would on a humans face. She stuck her nose in the air for a second and sniffed. Yuuki and Zero were all the way on the other side of the terrain. There would be more than enough time to go for a quick peek through Shiki's window. She rushed through the woods, running up a tree until she balanced on the branches and skipped along. Her favourite tree was just up ahead.

She leapt up, aiming to end up on the very branch she always sat on when spying on Shiki. The leaves rustled as she landed. Something white caught her eye and she looked up, half expecting it was the full moon shining beyond the leaves and branches, but she was shocked to find that it wasn't. Senri Shiki was casually leaning on the rim of the balcony, that leads toward his room. His head rested in the palm of one of his hands and his crystal blue eyes caught hers. The moonlight made his ebony hair sparkle, so he looked even more beautiful than he normally would.

Charley watched how he reached into his school uniform and took out a small package, wrapped in shiny black paper and decorated with a white ribbon. There was a small card hanging down from it. She had to look really well to see it clearly; it had her name written on it in Shiki's stylish handwriting. Her eyes flashed back from the package to his face. This had to be a dream...

Shiki tilted his head. Did he want her to come up? It barely took her any effort to leap from the branch onto the rim of the balcony. Shiki faced her as she dropped down from it and went to stand beside her.

"This is for you," he said in his deep velvet voice and handed her the package. It felt light in her hands and rumbled when she shook it. Her fingers trembled as she undid the knot on the package and removed the paper. Then, something sharp cut her finger. In her dismay and surprise, she dropped the package on the ground. Blood was oozing from the small wound. She looked up to see Shiki's eyes shimmering with a red glow. He was beside her within a split second, grabbing her hand gently in his and brought it toward his lips. Her heart seemed to freeze in her chest as his tongue licked up the drop of blood that was about to run down her hand onto her wrist. She could feel his breath on her skin while he took the tip of her thumb in his mouth and softly sucked the blood clean from the cut. At the point where Charley was sure she'd faint, he let go and looked at her.

"Are you all right?" His voice sounded so warm. She nodded slightly.

"I-I'm fine..." She looked him deep in the eyes. Her heart was racing. Shiki's eyes were so hypnotizing that she forced herself to bend down to retrieve the package she had dropped. It was a box with pockies.

"Thank you..." she whispered.

"I hoped you'd like it..." he said, staring at her.

As to show that she really appreciated it, she opened the box, took out a pocky and put it in her mouth. Shiki reacted immediately. He took the other end of the pocky in his mouth and nibbled it up all the way until their noses almost touched. Her breath stuck in her throat. Shiki's skin smelt as sweet as the roses in the yard with the fountain. Was he for real?

Hesitating, Charley nibbled her end of the pocky away until their lips touched. She couldn't help but to gasp a little; Shiki's lips were so soft. He tilted his head slightly, pushing the remainder of the pocky into her mouth before he latched his lips onto hers, running through her hair with his fingers. The brushing of his lips over hers made her gasp once more and she grabbed the fabric of his school uniform as to keep herself from falling, as her knees were about to give away. He held her up, placing a hand on her back and crushed her body against his. His tongue entered her mouth and caressed anything it would find. She eagerly opened her mouth just a little wider while her tongue slid along his and she carefully ran it across his fangs. As he pulled away from her, she rested her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry I never told you..." he hummed in her ear. "So this is to apologise for never showing you my feelings..."

She backed off a little so she could face him. His eyes were shimmering with a silver light.

"I... thought you didn't even noticed me..." But Shiki shook his head slightly.

"I saw how you looked at me every year," he said. "You were the only girl who didn't openly drool over me. You remained at the background, always. I admire that."

Charley opened her mouth to say something, but even before she had the chance, Shiki leaned in again and kissed her, cupping her head in his hands.

"I never realised..." he said as we broke away, "... I never thought I'd come to... like you this much..."

"I didn't either", she was going to say, but she never got past "I d-" because Shiki suddenly pressed her face into his neck. His marble skin felt pleasantly cool, so she just snuggled her nose safely away against him, placing butterfly kisses in his neck a few times. He didn't resist. Instead, he removed her scarf and began to lick the curve of her neck, brushing his sweet lips over it. She knew what he wanted. Slowly, she allowed her head to drop to the side until it rested on his shoulder. He licked her skin once more before he drove his fangs into her body and sucked up the blood flowing from the wounds he had created.

Her head suddenly felt light and a strange numbness spread throughout her body. She gripped the back of his clothes tightly in an attempt to stay upright, but her strength was sapped from her along with her blood.

"... Shiki..." she whispered. "Shiki... something's wrong..." He removed his fangs from her just in time to catch her before she fell. Charley let out a gasp in dismay, the numbness in her body rendering her unable move at all. She noticed how he lifted her up from the ground, pressing her pale face against his chest and licking the remainder of the blood from her neck. Her consciousness was fading. She wanted to catch one more glimpse of Shiki's crystal blue eyes before she fainted in his arms.


	3. Weakness of the Origin

**Chapter 3 – Weakness of the Origin**

Charley's head was spinning when she woke up. Judging from the smell, she was in her own bedroom. She opened her eyes. The sun outside was setting in an orange glow and the curtains were half closed. As soon as her head felt normal again, she carefully pulled up her legs and sat up straight in her bed, leaning up against the wall. As she looked to the left, she suddenly saw there was someone leaning against the wall on the other side. Her heart jumped as she saw who it was; Shiki was staring at her from the corner of his eyes. He walked over to her as soon as Charley looked back at him.

The handsome vampire sat down on the rim of her bed, leaned in and kissed her once out of nowhere. Something, however, felt a bit off about him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Uhm... fine... I guess..." Her head was clear again, but still she was thinking that maybe she'd be dreaming. Shiki placed his hand on her head.

"Vice president Kuran told me to look after you until you'd wake up," he told her. "He knows about last night's accident... I just wanted to tell you sorry."

"You don't need to..." She said the words before she even knew it. But the vampire shook his head and stroked her hair, letting out a sigh.

"I had a conversation with the vice president the other day..." he spoke quietly. "He told me why you haven't been put in the Night Class. It was to keep what happened with you the other day from happening."

"But, nothing truly bad happened, right?" She brushed his cheek with her hand. "I'm all right. I don't see what's the problem..."

"The problem is..." Shiki said, "you're a werewolf, our natural enemy. Your blood is so irresistible to us, we'd end up killing you if we'd let you in too close on us. There is just no way I could be with you if I'd risk killing you with my own blood thirst..."

"But... isn't there something we can do?" Charley was beginning to panic. Shiki cradled her head in his hands and kissed her once more before he got up from her bed and walked toward her room's door.

"I think this is the last time we speak..." he said as he opened the door. "... please, take care of yourself, all right?"

He faced away from her, closing the door quietly behind him. And then he was gone.

A knot tightened in her throat and tears were welling up in her eyes. Did he mean this? Was she never going to see him again? After all the time she spent, trying to make him notice her and now he was just going to walk away? As if he had simply used her... She sank back down into her bed. Hot tears of pain ran down her cheeks.

But she didn't see, that as he walked away from her room, Shiki was also crying...

The days went by slowly. Charley lay in bed for a week, sleeping during the daytime, crying in the night, skipping all of her classes. She often found notes on her drawer from Demy, telling that she was so worried about her, but that she didn't want to wake her up, either. She also told her about the goings-on at the gate every evening, but Charley mostly intentionally skipped those parts. She just didn't want to know...

One night, she screamed herself awake, her heart beating like mad in her throat. The nightmares she had been having were getting worse every time she fell asleep. It was that night that she realised she had come to the point where she'd never be happy again if she wouldn't have Shiki. Maybe a night's walk could ease her mind...

She stepped out of her bed and quickly shot into a hoody and some sweat pants before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. The floor was cold underneath her feet, but felt somehow assuring. Without any hesitation, she walked down the stairs into the Sun Dorms and through the doors to the outside.

The moon was like a glowing arc of light. It made the area around her bathe in a silver glow. It reminded her at once of the glow on Shiki's hair, but she quickly removed that thought from her mind. She walked all the way down the lane through the gates leading into town. She could see the houses lying in front of her up ahead already. A branch snapped underneath her foot, cutting into her skin and she stopped. As she lifted her foot, she noticed there was some blood on the stones she was walking on. But it would heal, easily. She stepped forward...

Another branch snapped, but this time, it was not underneath Charley's own foot. A strange hissing sound was coming from the thicket next to her. Two eyes were glaring at her in the darkness. She bit her lip to suppress a gasp; a Level E, this close to the school terrain? She recognised its smell and knew it had come after the scent of her blood. Hissing, it jumped out of the thicket into her direction, its fangs bared, ready to latch onto her. With a swift movement, Charley managed to avoid it and it nearly crashed into the ground behind her. Crouching down, it launched another attack at her, which she only barely dodged. She had to get out of here, but where to? If she'd run back to the academy, she'd put everybody there in danger, but Zero and Yuuki were also around. It was the only chance she had.

Suddenly, something sharp ripped the skin of Charley's back open and she gasped in surprise and pain. Struggling to remain on her feet, she saw what had attacked her; the single Level E that was after her had become a whole pack. Her attacked licked her blood clean from its nails, the blood thirst flickering in its eyes. If they'd all come for her at once she'd be done for. Scared to death, she turned her tails and ran for it, bolting right back at Cross Academy. She heard the Level Es chasing her down. They were lightning fast. Two of them blocked Charley's way, leaping right at her, one of them burying its terrifying fangs into her shoulder, the other one raking right past her, scratching her cheek. The weight in combination with the numbness spreading through her body caused her to collapse. She felt another pair of fangs sliding right into her waist while another Level E destroyed her wrist. She was going to die... She was going to die...

Something white flashed through the air and a whipping sound filled her fading consciousness. She heard a Level E growling in pain as someone yanked away the creatures feasting on her blood. Faintly, she recognised the voices yelling at each other. Was it... Shiki? And Kaname-senpai, too. And Ichijou-senpai...

Level Es were dying all around her, brought down by Shiki's bloody whip and Ichijou's katana as Kaname-senpai's dark figure appeared right above her. She felt his arms scooping her up from the dirt, holding her tight against his chest as all vampires began to run, back to safety.

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><p>Pain... there was pain everywhere. And blood, lots of blood. Her clothes were drenched in blood. How could they withstand the smell? Kaname-senpai's heart was racing, she could hear it. She held on tight to his clothes, more worried about the vampires tagging along behind them than about herself. Blood stained his white school uniform. She coughed. Her mouth filled itself with blood. She was going to die...<p>

Charley's vision flickered. Were they... headed for the Moon Dorms? She saw Ichijou-senpai sprinting on ahead to open the doors so Kaname could enter without needing to stop. There were voices all around them; she could distinguish the various vampires. Their voices were high-pitched and upset, but Kaname spoke calmly, in an attempt to settle them down. Before she well realised it, she was put down on one of the couches, on top of a dark blanket. She saw how Shiki knelt down beside her.

"She won't make it like this," she heard him say – even he sounded panicked – "She's losing too much blood."

"Ah, it's too much, I need to leave!" That was Aidou-senpai. In a further corner of the Dorm, she heard someone coughing in disgust. She had done it again...

"We cannot let her die," she heard Kaname-senpai say. "Ichijou, close all the curtains. We'll have to go in against what the Order told us." Ichijou's eyes widened, but he obeyed the vice president.

"Is there no other way?" she heard Akastuki-senpai say. "Kuran-sama! I beg of you, don't do anything reckless!"

"I have no choice," Kaname whispered. "She's already been through too much. You all knew this was going to happen some day. Her blood would one day become too tempting to us and in a rush of instinct, we may drain her till she dies anyway... Just the slightest scent of her blood awakens the beast within us. Even I can barely stand the smell..."

"No." Shiki suddenly surrounded Charley with his body, his arms carefully wrapped around her shoulders. His face was filled with anger. "No, Kaname. Let's call a doctor, let them treat her, but not like this. There is no need to take a risk. I don't want to lose her..."

Kaname was about to say something, but Charley was faster. With the last of her strength, she reached out to touch Shiki's head. She saw his expression change.

"Shiki..." It was hard to speak; her lungs felt like they were filled with blood. "Kaname... only wants the best... for all of us... please... let him do... as he needs to..."

Shiki said nothing, but his face became pale. She took a deep breath and kissed him on his lower lip.

"Please..." she repeated.

He hesitated for a moment, but Shiki saw she was serious. Charley saw how Ichijou helped him up and went to stand by his side. Within a second, Kaname was beside her. His eyes were intriguing.

"I'm ready..." she whispered. It felt as if it would be the last thing she'd say until she'd be quiet forever. She saw Kaname leaning in for the final kiss she'd ever get. Charley closed her eyes and exposed her neck to him. Kaname's breath was on her skin before his fangs sank away into her body. She gasped for air, her hands latching onto his clothes. It hurt. She wanted to scream, struggle, get away from the terrible pain filling her body, a hundred times worse than a million bees stinging every single inch of her, but no sound would escape from her throat. She heard Shiki gasping in panic. Paralysis spread throughout her body and her consciousness seemed to be slipping away constantly. So this was it, then...

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><p><em>Hey everyone, thanks for reading and bearing with my story so far. I really suck at writing - I'm more skilled with a pencil anyway... - but I just had to do this story. If inspiration hits me, I might do some more stories, but I'm good for now. Anyway, next chapter I'll add a little more juice ^^.<em>


	4. Nothing to Fear

**Chapter 4 – Nothing to fear**

Charley remembered when she woke up... The air was filled with strange scents she had never smelt before. Also, a sweet and tempting smell of blood hang around her. And there was the taste of blood in her mouth and Shiki's lips on hers, feeding her the pureblood's blood. She carefully licked the blood from Shiki's tongue and swallowed. She felt him twitch against her body, slowly closing his lips and breaking away from the kiss. Charley opened her eyes to face him. His blue eyes were pale, as was his face, although she could also extinguish something that looked like relief. Kaname-senpai was standing behind him. There was still a little blood on the corner of his mouth and she realised that it was done. They had managed to turn her... they had managed to for real. She tried to sit up, but her muscles trembled and refused to carry her weight.

All the other vampires were gone somehow. Only Ichijou was standing in the back, watching her with a crooked smile, his eyes still slightly red as he was fighting against the smell of her blood. Shiki touched her cheek with his fingers.

"Welcome back..." he whispered. She couldn't help smiling at him. He turned around to look at the tall vampire behind him.

"We'll be fine now, thank you."

Kaname-senpai nodded once and turned around, cleaning the little blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Let's go, Ichijou," he said. "We've got some mess to clean up outside."

Charley watched how the two of them left the dorms before she turned back on Shiki. He was suddenly onto her, his arms wrapped tightly around her and his face buried in her neck. She felt how he sweetly kissed her all over the place and ended up nibbling on her earlobe. She weakly placed her arms around his waist.

"Shiki... I'm all filthy..."

The handsome young vampire raised his head to look her in her eyes. His cheeks had become slightly rosy.

"We should get you a bath..." he said. He got off the couch, placing one arm underneath her back and the other in the hollow of her knee to lift her up against his body. Carefully he carried her up the stairs and through the hallway into the Moon Dorm's bathroom. The space was a bright white and the floor a dark tone of marble. A big, round bath tub was on the left side of the chamber.

Shiki looked at her.

"Can you stand?" She blinked and tried to move her limbs. They were responding like they would usually.

"Yeah," she said. "I think I can." Then Shiki gently put her back down on her feet. Charley watched him walking toward the tub to turn the drains and fill it with warm, steaming water. As the water was running down, he turned back on her, grabbing the rim of her hoody. She felt she was blushing as he helped her get her arms out and eventually pulled the bloody clothing off her. The girl crossed an arm in front of her breasts while the mirror in front of her reflected the deep pink colour in her face. Shiki started pulling down her sweat pants, which were drenched in blood as well and helped her get out of them, so she stood there only wearing her underwear. A warm, gentle hand forced her against the vampire's chest and he hugged her tight for a while, stroking her head and her back and her blood-soaked shoulders and arms. Her heart was starting to race again.

Shiki slipped out of his own school uniform, which was also a little bloody, and unbuttoned the black shirt he wore underneath, tossing it into a corner, exposing his beautiful torso. He allowed her to cuddle up against it and rub her cheek all over it, accidentally smearing it with blood. Her arms wrapped around his waist left long stains on his perfect skin.

Charley saw Shiki looking down at the blood on his body. He pressed her half-naked body against his once more, kissing the top of her head.

"Now I'm all filthy, too," he said. His voice sounded somehow seductive. "I guess we'll have to bathe together then..." Slowly, he zipped down his trousers, slid them down his slender hips and stepped out of them. Charley noticed a slight bulb in his boxers. Her face flashed a deep red in an instant and she looked away. His beauty was mesmerizing.

Her heart skipped a beat when his hands suddenly slipped across her back into her panties, sliding them down her legs. She shivered unintentionally. Then, he did the same to his boxers, pulling them down, placed his arms around her hips and pulled her against his naked body. She felt his erection against her tummy and a weird tingle inside. Something told her she should feel completely uncomfortable, but somehow she didn't. She felt safe within Shiki's arms, even though she had nothing to protect myself with.

He took her hand in his, their fingers entwined, releasing Charley from his embrace as he guided her toward the bath tub and allowed her to step into the warm water. It felt very comfortable against her skin and she slowly bent through her knees, sitting down on the slippery bottom. Shiki gracefully went in as well, positioning himself behind her, so he could cradle her in his arms from behind. The water cleaned off a bit of the blood that stuck to her skin.

"I'll wash you," he said in an even more seductive voice, reaching out to grab the soft sponge that was resting on the rim. He drenched it with water before he carefully rubbed it across her neck and all the way down her right arm. She sighed contently. Shiki was so gentle, so sweet, so perfect. She still couldn't comprehend why he'd fall in love with a girl like her, but she was so happy that he did.

Charley let the drop-dead gorgeous boy behind her soak off the blood from her arms and her neck with the sponge, as he cleaned the rest of her body, which was underwater, with his soft hands. He kissed her rosy cheeks as he did so, slowly turning the water in the tub into a light pink. As soon as her wounds were all washed out – even the ones on her face – he put down the sponge again and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, while the other caressed her tummy. She leant back against his body, feeling his erection poking out against her back, but it didn't bother her. His caressing hand moved up across her body, cupping one of her breasts, stroking her nipple with his thumb. She moaned a little, biting down on her lip. Shiki's lips began to plant more kisses in her neck, breathing onto her skin in pleasure as he removed his arm from her shoulders and used it to pull her body even closer to his. His right hand kept massaging her breast in a slow motion, squeezing it gently.

She turned her head around a little and started to lick the skin of his cheek. He uttered a moan, releasing her for a second, enough for her to turn her body around and start lapping at his neck. A gentle push with his hand forced her to turn around entirely, his erection dangerously close to her core. She felt the head poke against it and they both moaned in slight surprise. She pushed her hips down a little, allowing him to enter her by just an inch, but it was enough to cause Shiki to throw his head back in ecstasy. She bent her head forward, licking his neck a few more times before digging her newly obtained fangs in, drinking the sweet blood flowing into her mouth. Shiki moaned, grabbing her hips with both hands and forced her down, pushing his length deep inside of her body. His face flushed and she felt her own body shiver slightly, responding to this new feeling he gave her.

"Charley..." He purred her name softly into her ear and another shiver ran down her body. His hands started to massage her waist and back, causing a pleasant tingle on her skin. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and rubbed her body up against his. The motion caused him to gasp and she felt him slightly throbbing inside of her. Her tongue was still licking the fresh wound in his neck.

She began to rock her hips back and forth a little and Shiki began to purr even louder. Why did it feel so good, while it was so wrong? Our sins were indescribable, a noble vampire loving a half-blood werewolf, who, even now that she had been turned, put herself at risk being with him. Slight confusion hit her; why was she now doing this with the vampire who left her only a day after he'd confessed to her? And now, they were in a bath together and this close to having actual sex. But on the other hand, she wanted him so bad... She stopped rocking her body over his and grabbed his shoulders, looking him straight into his face. His lustful eyes expressed surprise.

"Shiki..." she said quietly. "We shouldn't be doing this." He didn't say anything, so she just sighed.

"It is wrong, Shiki."

"Why?" He tilted his head, his grip on her weakened; a voice inside told her she'd ruined it.

"I... it's... you told me we'd never speak again," she stuttered. "You... you just left me then... and I don't understand. If you really loved me, you would have stayed with me."

"You've got it all wrong..." he said. "I love you more than I'd ever love someone. But I also realised I couldn't be with you if I were to be a threat to you."

"My blood still drives you insane, even now. I saw how you had to keep yourself from sinking your fangs into me just moments ago. Turning me made no difference at all."

Shiki's eyes flashed red, but he quickly averted his gaze. She felt his nails digging into her skin. Now you've done it, said the voice in her head and she swallowed, a hint of fear rushing throughout her. Shiki's hand slipped behind her head, forcing her to expose her neck to him. The bite wounds, which Kaname-senpai had caused, were already starting to fade by the new powers of her vampire blood.

"Stop being so tempting to me," he hissed slightly. The cool and composed Shiki she knew had completely changed. This one wanted her blood. The fear she had felt before suddenly changed into a longing, the longing to feel Shiki bite her, to feel him drink from her.

"Do it," she ordered. "If you truly love me, Shiki, you'll bite me, here and now."

Shiki moaned, bending his head forward and sank his fangs into her neck...


	5. Blood red fur

**Chapter 5 – Blood red fur**

She didn't faint as she had expected. The numbness caused by a vampire's bite didn't kick in either. Her body filled itself with a feeling of ecstasy as Shiki sipped up her crimson blood. She moved involuntary, the motion causing his length to grow harder inside of her and he groaned in her neck. His fangs slipped out of her and he threw his head back, his beautiful brownish hair waving along with the movement. Little drops of sweat sparkled on his face as he arched his body. He struggled to regain himself and caught her lips with his own. Even she was starting to pant now.

"I love you," he breathed as soon as they broke up their kiss. His eyes were like an ocean of lust and desire in which she was drowning.

"I love you too." Charley latched her lips back onto his, trying to deepen the kiss. She felt his tongue caressing hers before she passionately licked across his fangs. He moaned in her mouth and she couldn't keep herself from smiling cheekily. Her hips had started rocking back and forth again; she had punished him enough, the normally so sweet and shy model was so heated up she could feel it radiating from him. She could feel his length moving in and out of her as he also began to thrust his hips forward. Their shallow moans filled the bathroom.

Shiki bent his head forward, catching one of her nipples in his mouth and began to suck it and lick it frantically with his soft tongue. She nearly squealed in pure pleasure, building up the speed at which she was riding him. The water around them splashed in their faces, turning into steam the instant it touched their skins. Shiki was thrusting in so hard and fast now, she could barely keep up with him. Stars started to dance in front of her eyes and she knew she was nearly going to climax. She saw how Shiki's face flushed and her cheeks turned a bright red.

"Ahh... Charley... ahhh... don't stop!" He bumped himself inside of her so hard, his hands crushed her body against his. She screamed out his name before all the muscles in her body stiffened as she came. Shiki's moan echoed in her ears and he shot his semen into her at the exact same time. For a moment, Charley felt nothing else but Shiki's body around her and the pleasure he had given her just now. Then her muscles started to relax again and she collapsed against his chest, panting aloud.

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><p>Being dried off by Shiki after the bath was a hundred times more embarrassing now. Charley couldn't possibly stop blushing as he rubbed her down entirely with a soft, fuzzy towel. Most of the wounds on her body had already vanished almost completely. As soon as she was dry, she wrapped the towel around her and looked away from Shiki's mesmerizing eyes, as if she were ashamed to look at him while he ran a towel along his perfect body. Only as soon as his arms enveloped her did she dare to turn around and bury her face in his chest. She loved him so much...<p>

Shiki guided her out of the bathroom into his own room a little up ahead and put her down comfortably on his bed. She watched him as he pulled out some clothes from his wardrobe. He turned around and handed her a striped shirt, which was slightly too large for her, and a pair of plain jeans along with one of his boxers. They faced away from each other as they got dressed. All this time, they said nothing, simply because there was nothing to say.

She smelt the clothes; they wore Shiki's odour. As she turned around, she only just saw him slipping into a beige shirt, looking at her over his shoulder. His usual calm had returned to his face and it made her feel calm as well. She was glad he had that kind of effect on her... The boy walked around the bed to join her on the mattress, placed an arm around her and pushed her against his body, slowly rocking her from side to side. He kissed the top of her head as Charley leant it against his shoulder. They just sat there for a while, quietly, peacefully. Her thoughts slowly drifted away as she listened to her lover's heart beat...

A loud and panicked knock on the door snapped her out of her peaceful thoughts at once. She felt Shiki stir against her body, their eyes transfixed on the door's handle, which was wildly moving up and down.

"Shiki! Are you in there!" Charley felt Shiki getting up from the bed and wanted to follow him, but he gently pushed her back.

"Stay there," he said. She sat back on the bed until her back hit the wall and watched how Shiki opened the door. The blanket-white face of Ichijou appeared. From the look in his eyes, she saw something was very wrong.

"Shiki! They are all over the place!" he said in a high-pitched voice. She could smell his cold sweat from all the way where she was sitting.

"Who are?" Shiki's voice was still very composed, although he talked a little faster than normal.

"Level Es! Kaname thinks they've gone after the smell of Charley's blood! You gotta help us stop them!"

She felt a shock in her body. Here she had been hoping it was all over. Why did she always get from the one trouble into more trouble? This was all her fault. If it hadn't been for her, those monsters would never have come to Cross Academy in the first place. She jumped off the bed and slipped away past the two vampires. She heard Shiki calling out to her, his hand trying to grab her sleeve, but she pulled herself away from him. He chased her down, followed by his friend, as she ran through the open dorm doors. Outside, she could already hear the noises.

They were at the entrance gates. Charley couldn't quite see how many they were, but she knew that every single one of them was hungry and they wanted their meal. The scene was horrible; both Aidou and Akatsuki had received a few deep wounds caused by the Level Es' fangs and claws, as they tried to scorch and freeze them to death. The monsters were licking up their spilled blood from the ground like wild animals. Even Zero had come in to join the fight, the shots of the Bloody Rose filling the night, while Yuuki stood behind the front line, all worried about what she was seeing. Kaname was by her side...

Charley felt a hand on her shoulder, roughly pushing her aside and Shiki and Ichijou bolted right past her. Ichijou had his katana drawn and headed right into the battlefield, where as Shiki took cover in the trees and began to attack from the rear. The violent screams of the Level Es echoed in her head, paining her. Suddenly, as if something in her head had snapped, she didn't care anymore if she was supposed to be their enemy; these Night Class vampires were her friends, and Shiki... Shiki would always be more than her friend, especially after tonight. The wolf inside of her was growling. She started to run forward, ready to face her destiny, bent through her knees and leapt up into the air, her arms stretched in front of her like an animal jumping. A shiver ran down her entire body when for the first time since the beginning of her teenage years, she allowed the wolf to come out. A deep, bloody red fur covered her body, her clothes melting away in her skin and her eyes turned a golden amber. Her hands and feet became paws as she dove downward, followed by the many eyes of Level Es and the vampires behind her alike.

Opening her jaws with a terrifying howl, she crashed down onto a Level E and tore its throat out...


	6. Broken Bonds

**Chapter 6 – Broken Bonds**

She tasted blood on her tongue, but it was filthy blood, wetting her entire face. The Level Es were distracted for a moment, some of them diving onto their dead companion to feast on his remains. It gave her an opportunity to get out before they'd come and jump her instead. She was on Aidou's side within seconds, the vampire staggering backwards upon seeing her. Her amber eyes glanced at him for a moment before she leapt head-first onto another monster, giving it the exact same treatment as her previous prey. She noticed Shiki in the trees, slashing at the Level Es with his bloody whip. He would be safe there, but Akatsuki and the others would be in trouble if they'd get wounded. She had to come up with something and fast... Then it hit her.

Avoiding her enemies, she scurried out of the mess, over to the flank of the horde, uttering a howl to get the attention. Then without a hint of hesitation, she pierced her own front paw with her teeth, causing the blood to run from the wound, which on its turn caused the monsters in front of her to lose their minds. But she wasn't afraid; she could handle them all, one by one.

With the Level Es distracted by the scent of her blood, Shiki was the first to take advantage. He leapt out of the tree, landed in between the Level Es and swung his whip around. About ten of them fell at the same time as the other Night Class students also began to understand what Charley was doing. She zigzagged among the foul creatures, her blood trailing behind her. She heard some of them grinding down on the ground to lick it up that way. She jumped and killed another, blood drenching her face, before she headed for her next prey. All that blood clouding her sharpest sense made it hard to distinguish each separate vampire. But she heard that Shiki was nearby her position; the sounds of his whiplashes were getting closer. Leaving a trail of bodies behind, Charley made it to where he was fighting. Ichijou had joined his side already and was cutting off limbs with the sharp edge of his sword. At the front lines, red flashes of fire rose and bodies scattered into many tiny bits of ice. The Level Es in the back seemed to be getting afraid and some of them had started to run. Charley howled. They were fleeing! Of course she would rather kill them all, but she also knew that this was a victory too, more or less.

Shiki slashed at the monsters some more. Even the front lines were beginning to shift away now as the enemy began to withdraw into the woods around or simply back into town. The few who dared to attack the red-haired werewolf would either end up without a head or without a throat. She eventually barked off the last of them, activating the few remaining braincells that still had some sense in them until the only Level Es left on the terrain were dead ones. Charley felt she was panting. She lay down in the grass and began to lick her wound, whining a little. From the corner of her eyes, she saw how all the vampires were panting as well. She felt ashamed...

Her body shivered again as she allowed the wolf to sleep and returned to her human self. The bite marks in her arm were pretty deep, she had probably overdone it a little... She got up onto her feet very slowly, looking to the side, only to feel a little startled. She was staring straight into the eyes of Kaname-senpai. A light reddish glow of blood thirst was in his eyes, but he had clearly composed himself.

"It's too dangerous out here," he said quietly. "You should come with me."

"What about Shiki?" she asked, trying to look behind him to find her lover. She was shocked to find the other Night Class students were no longer there.

Kaname placed a gentle hand on Charley's shoulder, causing her to look up at him.

"Come," he slightly ordered. Something seemed to be clouding her mind and she obediently followed him. She saw Zero and Yuuki staring at them as they walked by. Zero's eyes were so strange... was that... mercy she saw? But she'd never know for sure, because Kaname-senpai led her back into the building and through a hallway. She soon knew where we were headed; the headmaster's office.

As soon as they were there, Kaname knocked gently on the door. Charley was facing downward, staring at her own feet. She heard the headmaster's voice telling them to come on in and the vampire in front of her opened the door, pushing her slightly to urge her in.

There were two people in the chamber. Beside the blonde headmaster, Kaien, there was another man. He had long, black hair and a cigarette was casually sticking out of his mouth. She recognised him at once; Yagari-san, a Vampire Hunter. He looked at her intently as soon as he noticed Charley was staring at him. Her cheeks turned rosy in embarrassment and she faced away from him.

"We heard about the accident, vice president Kuran," Kaien said. Charley felt he was looking at her, but she pretended not to notice.

"It is starting to get out of hand," she heard Kaname say. "A few years ago, we could still handle it, but it's even becoming too much on us as well."

"Have you been taking special measurements?" Yagari asked in his characteristic deep voice.

"I have," was the response. "I forbade all Night Class students to be around Charley anymore, but unfortunately, she was attacked by Level Es during a stroll and nearly killed. I feel sorry to admit that we were forced to revert to the emergency plan."

Yagari's eyes narrowed. He clenched his teeth together, squishing the end of the cigarette.

"You _turned_ her?" Charley looked up to see Kaname's face, but it was as calm as always. She realised Yagari was staring at her neck; the bite marks Kaname had left there were the only wounds on her body that were still visible besides her own bite wounds.

"It all happened tonight..." the pureblood said with a slight sigh. "She would've died if we hadn't..."

"I see..." Yagari-san stepped slightly closer toward them, still looking at Charley. "So why did those Level Es attack afterwards anyway if she's a vampire now, too?"

"Because it appears to barely make any difference whether she is or not," Kaname replied instantly. "Her blood is still too tempting to us, even now. It would be too dangerous to have her around us. I know this may sound rash, but I deem it best if she'd never come in touch with any of us again."

Charley's stomach turned at these words. Never again? Was he for real? She had to try hard to hold back her tears, praying the headmaster would be against such a harsh measurement. She'd die if she'd have to live without Shiki... But fortune was turning against her.

"I understand your concern," Kaien said in a rather sad voice. "If you believe this is really the only way to keep her safe, then I will comply. I'll have Yagari guard her to keep her away from the Night Class. And she'll have a curfew from now on to be back at her dorm before sunset."

Charley felt her heart break into a billion pieces. Tears were starting to well up from her eyes as she realised her life was now perfectly ruined.

* * *

><p>The days dragged from that point on forward. The nightmares had started to return, causing her to scream and cry myself awake at night, bathing in her own cold sweat. The day time was unbearable as well. Her attention slipped during classes all the time and she'd find herself staring outside for hours. Even Demy, who tried hard to cheer her up, couldn't manage to put a smile back on her face. She was drowning in a pit of depression and darkness. Her only hail during the day was what little spare time she had after classes, which she wasted on visiting the stables on the school terrain. The horses would always listen to her and never say something back. Charley would snuggle her face into their soft, furry coats, trying to cry the aching in her heart away. But somehow whenever she was with the pure animals, she had the feeling that someone was watching her...<p>

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><p><em>Kudos to all people who have read the whole story so far...<em>


	7. Reviving yourself

_Hi all and thanks to those subscriing to my story! Anyway, I'm sorry for the long wait, I'm kind of suffering from a writer's block, but a friend pushed me to finish at least this next chapter. Hope you'll enjoy, it's a bit of a build-up to what's about to come._

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><p><strong>Reviving yourself<strong>

Charley stared at herself in the mirror and sighed. Her skin was extremely pale and she had large bags under her eyes, which made her look like a zombie of some sort. She had never looked any worse; this was all because of those nightmares, and last night's thunderstorm didn't help much either.

She reached for the little box with bloodpills in her pocket, took one out and dropped it in the glass of water in her hand. The water turned a strange red and she glared at it for a minute. Charley hated taking those things, but not taking them would make everything a million times worse. She gulped up the bloody water in disgust, put down the glass in the sink and rinsed it with hot water. Here she was, some half-wolf, half-vampire, all against her own will and she hated it... and she hated this place, she hated being trapped all along! Tears began to well up in her eyes again, but she tried to fight them back. Her heart was aching again... she missed Shiki... she missed him so much...

Her teacher, as well as her personal babysitter, Yagari-san, told her to skip classes for the day and get some rest, to her own delight. She ended up spending the rest of the morning fast asleep, skipping lunch later, and after that she read a book while lying in bed. It was around sunset when someone came knocking on her door. She looked up from her book, wondering who it could be.

"Come on in..."

The door opened quietly and Yuuki's face appeared from around the corner. Charley felt a hint of surprise; what was she visiting her for? The female prefect walked in and went to casually sit down on the edge of her bed. Charley looked at her for a while, wondering.

"How are you feeling?" Yuuki asked.

"Better," Charley replied in a plain voice. "Not perfect, but at least better."

Yuuki smiled very slightly.

"I'm glad to hear." Then she looked away from Charley for a second, staring at the window opposite of her bed. Charley heard her sighing and she unintentionally tilted her head in wonder. She felt rather certain Yuuki hadn't just come here to ask her how she was doing... and she was so right about that. Yuuki looked back at her again; her expression had gone from that faint smile to something close to sadness.

"Everybody is really worried about you," she said. "Demy especially, she hates seeing you sad, and so do I. I heard everything from the headmaster and Kaname-senpai, so I can imagine what you must be going through."

"They told you about it?" Yuuki nodded.

"All of it. Zero knows, too."

Charley bent her head. "She see..."

"The headmaster was wondering how you are doing as well, seeing as he hasn't seen you in a while. He wanted to know if you're doing okay on the blood pills."

A sudder went through her body as Yuuki reminded her of those disgusting things, those... those... drugs... But she decided not to tell her that.

"Yeah, my body is accepting them," she replied instead. "I guess I can live with them."

"That's good." Another slight smile appeared on Yuuki's face. "Well, I suppose I should get going, duty calls... is there anything I could do for you?"

Charley was going to say no, but quickly changed her mind.

"Yeah, there is." She got up from her bed and walked over to the desk in the corner. She took a small piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down a message for Shiki, asking him how he was doing and telling him that she still thought about him. Then, she folded it in fours and handed it to Yuuki. "Could you please make sure Shiki-senpai gets this?"

The prefect nodded.

"I will," she said, and then she was off.

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><p>During the night Charley slept badly again, but luckily her morning nap had worked miracles. The bags under her eyes had mostly disappeared when she woke up the next day. She even managed to focus some better in classes. The only thing that was bothering her was the prefects; they knew... and whenever she looked over her shoulder, Zero was staring at her with a strange glance in his eyes. Yuuki still looked concerned, too. But Demy was happy Charley was looking better. They sat together during lunch and the girl just couldn't stop talking. Charley simply listened, glad that she didn't have to say a thing. Now she knew how the horses would feel if she'd talk to them; they'd just be happy to listen.<p>

The horses' noses were simply so soft. Before she knew it, Charley had been stroking one's for almost ten minutes, sunk away in thoughts. The sky outside the stables was cloudy and the woods were quiet. She snuggled herself against the fuzzy pelt and inhaled their horsey scent. It smelt good. When she was with them, she would completely forget about the outside world, about all the misery... the presence of animals was soothing. She got a sudden urge to climb on their back and go out for a ride... Except she didn't know how to ride a horse. She'd probably fall off within mere seconds.

The horse was staring at her, its ears straight forward as if it was asking "What's wrong?". Charley petted its head carefully. The animal nipped at her hand to see if she had anything to eat, but eventually turned its head away when it found out that she hadn't. It made her smile. Horses had no such concerns as humans or vampires had. She wished she'd be one of them...

A branch snapped behind her and threw her on guard. She felt the sudden goose bumps crawling up across her back, into her neck and she shivered. For a second Charley wasn't sure if she wanted to turn around, but she decided it would be even worse if she'd stand with her back toward whatever was behind her. She heard footsteps. The horse she had been petting made a funny, purring sound through its nose and she turned her head. She saw silver-white hair and dark, grey eyes that were staring at her with a hint of concern. Charley stared straight into them. They caused her heart to skip a beat, why she didn't know, but she stepped back further into the stable, her back against the flank of the horse.

From the cloudy outside, Zero Kiryuu came walking in.


	8. No More Sorrow

**(No) More Sorrow**

Why was she so tense?

Zero slowly walked toward her; he still had that strange look in his eyes. Concern, pity, she couldn't really distinguish it and it made her feel insecure. And now he was here, out of the blue.

Charley almost forced her muscles to relax when he came to stand facing her, just a meter or so away. She thought his glare was going to kill her, as if it would stab right through her heart. He did a move forward and reached out with his hand. She felt the urge to close her eyes and jump aside.

"I'm sorry for sneaking up on you."

Then it went quiet. Charley was going to say something, but her lips just moved without making a sound. Did he just apologise to her? He, Zero, the strict prefect of the Cross Academy, apologizing? Then it hit her that he was standing right beside her now, petting the horse she was leaning against. Her heart jumped. Somehow she feared him, but on the other side, now that he was standing here and being so gentle to the animal, she kinda appreciated him being here. At least she wouldn't be alone now.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said rather quietly, something Charley wasn't used to from him. Her voice dared work again.

"To talk, why?" she blurted out. The horse pushed its nose closer to Zero's hand.

"I've been seeing you struggle for a while now," he replied. "I heard about what happened... and somehow I just couldn't stand seeing you like that."

"What do you mean?" A horse behind her snorted and Charley jumped. Zero showed the faintest of smiles.

"I've been overhearing you," he said. "Whenever you went to see the horses, I followed you. I don't think you ever noticed me."

Her eyes widened a little; so it was true, someone really had been watching her. But she never guessed it would have been Zero. She thought maybe Yagari-san...

"How d'you...?" She didn't finish her question, simply because she didn't know where it was going to herself. Zero stopped petting the horse and turned to her, looking straight into Charley's eyes.

"I know how you feel... I know how hard it is to be something you don't want to be."

She staggered backwards, startled by his sudden move. Something red flashed in his eyes, locking her gaze. It couldn't be...! Was he...

"... a Vampire?" She whispered the words, but she knew he had heard them. His expression became darker, his eyes flashing an even deeper red. Her fear was starting to get the better of her.

"I've been restraining myself the moment I met you," he said. "But you're hard to resist... I'm just another of those foul beasts..."

Charley wanted to turn around, run away from him, run away and never come back, but her body was frozen. Those eyes... Zero's eyes were filled with pain, even more than they were filled with hunger and desire. They were the same eyes as she had been watching every single morning when she looked in the mirror and forced herself to take the blood pills in her pocket. He was just like her, a Vampire against his own will and fighting against it. Except he still had a human side and he clung to it with all his might... she... she was no longer human... she was a bloodsucking werewolf, one who had been forbidden to ever get close to a vampire again, because sooner or later they would kill her. But Zero was much more dangerous than any vampire she knew.

"You... you haven't been..." she stuttered, but she didn't need to say any more. She backed away while Zero started to get too close for comfort and she was afraid he might grab her.

"You realise it now, don't you," he said, almost hissed. "I wasn't turned properly like you were... my body isn't accepting blood pills and to make things worse, my control is starting to slip. You are way too tempting to me..." Then, he suddenly faced away from her and the red in his eyes disappeared. "But I couldn't ever hurt you. Yuuki was right..."

Charley froze in place. It was true, they were the same, Zero and she, both bound to a faith they had never wished for. And for Zero to come see her, tell her she wasn't alone in this... somehow it made her happy. Her fear disappeared almost completely. Brave, strong Zero... She could never guess what she must have put him through by just being there... She wanted to make it up to him somehow, anyhow. Charley moved a step forward and reached for his hand, grabbing his fingers in hers and pulled on them a little. He faced back, his eyes expressing disbelief, but she wouldn't hesitate. Within a second, she had burrowed her face into his chest and she clutched onto his clothes. She felt his free hand on her back in an insecure embrace, but she knew it was good this way. At this moment, Charley needed him, as much as he needed her. Even though she was playing with her life.

The scent of her blood once again awakened the beast inside of him. She heard him panting as he was trying to fight it, but he wouldn't have to. She would be letting him do it... she would. If this was what it'd take to show him she'd put her trust in him, she would allow him to drink from her. He was strong, he would never kill her... not even unintentionally.

Charley moved her arms, throwing both around his neck, forcing him to bend over a little, and she tilted her head to the side. Something inside of Zero snapped at the sight of her giving in to his desires. Their eyes met once more before he sank his fangs into her neck. His bite was rougher than she expected. It made her grab his hair tightly with her fingers, but instead of pulling him away from her, she pushed him closer. A small stream of blood ran across her skin into her collar. She wished from the ground of her heart that no one – or nothing – would smell it. His hands clutched onto her clothes and he pulled her tender body against his tall posture. She could feel the warmth from his skin through their uniforms and the rapid beating of his heart pulsing through his veins and muscles. The pain of his bite quickly ceased and she became like a doll in his arms, consciously relaxing herself and allowing him to hide her within his embrace.

When Zero broke away from her, his mouth was covered in dark blood. Despite it being her own, the scent of it even dazzled her. Before she well realised what she was doing, she had his lower lip between hers and was licking the blood clean from his mouth. She noticed he was just as startled as her, although he did not push her away. Instead, Charley felt his tongue licking across her upper lip, slowly, as if he were afraid she'd be breakable. Her body reacted on its own; she moved her lips to brush over his, still licking them softly, while his tongue explored the outside of her mouth, although eager to go inside instead. He tried to move her lips apart, a gesture to which she half-consciously complied. And thus before their quiet witnesses, they kissed.


	9. Mixed Feelings

_Hi everyone! I just wanted to say thanks to Drayhara and byakuchiki for reviewing my story, you gave me new hope to keep writing! Therefore, I'm kinda dedicating the next chapter to you. Hope you'll enjoy!_

_ ~ blackredmoon_

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><p><strong>Mixed Feelings<strong>

Charley felt like she was dreaming, slowly drifting away into a world where there was no pain, no worries and no regrets. And Zero was always beside her, his lips onto hers, holding her. It was a safe feeling. The hay in which he laid her down felt like a bed of soft feathers and when she rolled over to rest on his chest, his slow breathing hypnotized her into a half slumber.

There was nothing here that could've put a spell over her. She thought it must be her mind playing tricks on her, but she didn't care, not in the slightest. Zero's touch was gentle, just like he had been gentle to the horses. Her hand stroke across the boy's chest underneath his shirt and he shivered a little. His skin felt very hot. Half-consciously she tugged on the rim of his clothing, attempting to pull it up. Before she well realised it, he had slipped out of his shirt and was hugging her tight against his bare torso. Zero... so willingly lying beside her... what had come over them?

He bent his head forward slightly, kissing her neck right at the spot where he had just bitten her. Charley felt his tongue flickering out, licking across the wound. For a second she was afraid he might dig his fangs in again, but he didn't. Instead, he pulled her wholly on top of him, lay his head down and looked her in the eye. Behind the shimmering red of blood lust, there was affection reflecting in his eyes, a desire to protect her and to watch over her.

"Are you afraid?" he asked in a low voice. She shook her head and smiled slightly. His hand crept to behind her head and pulled her down to his lips again. There was a familiar thought coming up into her floating mind: why did something so wrong feel so right?

Zero's hand had crept underneath her shirt and was undoing her bra, so he could freely stroke her back. The touch calmed her and excited her at the same time. It was confusing. Two voices in her head were quarrelling whether she should let him do as he wanted or whether she had to push him away from her. With a single motion, he released her from her shirt, before he pulled the straps of her bra along her arms. Their skin rubbing over one another's seemed to excite the both of them. A flush of desire filled Charley and she pressed her lips down onto his collar, trailing down across his chest. He let out a sigh of contentment. His fingers ran across her sides to the very edge of her trousers, then back up across her spine. Her body tightened at this action and she shivered. He appeared to enjoy it.

Charley moved back up, burying her face in his neck, somehow ignorant about what to do next. He began to stroke her hair and played with her pig tails. Then he slipped a few fingers underneath the rim of her trousers, underneath her underwear, and stroke her there as well before moving his hand up along her spine again to make her shiver once more. When he started kissing her neck, his touch had grown more eager. His hands holding her in a warm embrace soon stumbled down a little awkwardly across her front side to the button of her trousers where he fiddled with them to undo them. It almost made her laugh. She sat up a little, not only to make things easier on him, but also so she could return the favour to his own pants. The pieces of clothing were flung aside, soon followed by her panties and Zero's boxers and they lay cuddling in the hay for a while. Charley allowed her hands to explore his entire body. It was perfect and smooth and very warm.

Zero rolled them over, so she lay down in the hay and he was on top of her and he continued kissing her neck, moving down along her collar bones toward her chest. She shivered in anticipation, pulling him closer to herself. When his tongue touched her nipple, she couldn't help moaning. Her head felt very light and the stables around them seemed to be nothing more than a blur of vague colours.

Zero started to caress one of her breasts while his fingers slid down across her tummy, where he started to explore her core. The sensation caused Charley to grab the skin of his neck between her teeth, unintentionally piecing it, so warm blood ran down over her lips into her mouth. She heard him groan a little, but he didn't pull away from her bite. Instead, his movements down between her legs sped up and she bit down even harder. She felt the wetness spreading all over the place.

_I've got to stop him, I cannot let him do this!_ screamed a voice in her head.

_I want him so bad! I need him, he understands so well how I feel!_ shouted another.

The conflict had began to rage again and Charley felt herself struggling. For a moment, every touch to her body blurred away into the background and she was alone, feeling nothing, seeing nothing. Would it really be better like that, having no one to hold on to? No one who would give her what she needed? In a desperate attempt to retrieve her senses, she moved her arms as if she were about to embrace someone, someone yet invisible. Something warm... she could feel it... and a tingle, a shiver going through her body. She opened her mouth, uttering a moan. The touch of something warm and soft on her neck dazzled her. Something was going on... Zero... Zero was doing this to her... Her senses came back to her in a flash. He was kissing her and she had let go of his neck, her arms tightly around his body. His fingers were inside of her, thrusting in and out, causing shivers running throughout her.

_I need him! _

Charley managed to reach down with one of her hands and get a hold of his erection, rubbing it down gently. Zero moaned violently from the unexpected touch. He thrust his hips forward, his tip slipping across her leg as they collided and he moaned even louder. His fingers inside of her began to move uncontrollably and she panted, allowing a quiet "Ahhh..." to escape from her mouth. The sound of it appeared to pull Zero across the edge of his capability to hold himself back. He slid his fingers out of her wet core and pushed her away from him, back down into the hay. He spread her legs apart with his knees and stared at her, panting, and a shimmer of lust in his eyes. It was too late to turn back now. A protesting voice was still dimly shouting in the back of her head, but her own desire had conquered it by far. They moaned simultaneously as he thrust his length all the way up into her and filled her body with a sensation of pleasure.


	10. Undistinguishable

**Undistinguishable **

Her head was spinning. Her legs were refusing to carry her and yet she was walking.

* * *

><p>It was nearly sunset. Charley remembered nothing about leaving the stables, nothing about whatever happened while she was actually walking. The memories of what had happened while she was in there with Zero had converted themselves into a flurry of flashing pictures; how they kissed... the moment he had bitten her... how they lay in the hay together... making love... but she couldn't seem to get the entire event to come back to her. Her head was a swirling mass of twisted confusion, her emotions messed up. Friendship, love, desire... for a moment they had all been the same, but somehow they weren't. And Shiki... he had come back to her mind, like a bomb colliding with a target, it had struck her with an explosion of guilt. Guilt about what had happened, guilt about trusting Zero like she had, even though she still wanted it to be Shiki... she wanted to scream it all out, all her frustrations and the pain in her heart. She wanted it to go away, but her stream of thoughts was distorted and she found herself unable to think straight. Before she well realised it, she bumped hard into someone.<p>

The crash and the reverberation of her yelp tossed all of Charley's confusion into oblivion for a moment. She felt herself falling over backwards, ready to break an arm on the hard stone underneath her, when a hand grabbed her shirt. The fabric managed to carry her weight for that split second and she stopped falling. Another hand pulled her back up and a familiar voice rang in her ears.

"Charley! Are you alright?"

It took her less than a second to recognise it.

"Ichijou-senpai?" She looked up, straight into the blonde's emerald eyes. He smiled at her.

"My, I thought you had spaced out. I called your name a few times, but you didn't respond."

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered. He chuckled, and stuck out his hand at her. He was holding a note, carefully folded up with her name written on it.

"I had to give this to you from Senri," he said. Charley took the note from him and stared at it for a while.

"Thanks..."

"You're welcome." Ichijou-senpai smiled at her once more. "I better get back to the dorms, classes are starting soon."

"Yeah..." she muttered. She listened to him walking away, her eyes still fixed on the note. A series of thoughts had started to twirl around in her head again. Shiki... he was still thinking about her... did that mean he still felt something for her? … or maybe this was a good-bye note? … the tension caused her stomach to tighten. With trembling fingers, Charley unfolded the note. It was Shiki's handwriting, no doubt; the letters were of perfect shape, ornamenting the paper with perfect words. This is what it said:

_Dear Charley,_

_I'm really happy to hear from you._

_Right now, I don't have much time to write to you, so I gave this note to Ichijou to deliver it to you, so I could go talk to Kaname. _

_I would like for you to stay up tonight, because I'll be trying if I can pay you a visit._

_I'll take classes off for the night so I can be with you for a while._

_I hope Kaname understands._

_I'll see you tonight, then, hopefully._

_With love,_

_Senri_

A smile had appeared on Charley's face upon reading this message. He'd be coming over! She folded the message again and carefully put it away in her pocket. She had to hurry back to her dorm, for he could be there any moment after sunset. But while she started walking again, the whole flurry of confusion and guilt came back to her. She had to tell him... otherwise she wouldn't be able to even look him in the eye. The tension was back and she felt nervous and scared. The message in the note was suddenly a whole lot less appealing...

* * *

><p>The first thing Charley did when she was back in her bedroom was taking a shower. Her clothes she took along with her, rinsing them with hot water as she cleaned out the wound in her neck. She was hoping that, along with the sweat and Zero's scent, she'd be able to wash the dirty, confused feeling off her, but it turned out to be no use. She washed her body twice, the smell of strawberry douche gel filling the bathroom, until she was certain that any trace of Zero was gone. Then she dried herself off really quick before heading straight into her bedroom again. Dinner she had already missed, so it was no use going back down into the dorm. Back in her room, Charley put on a simple tank top and some shorts, in which she usually slept and went to sit on her bed with a book in her hands, reading while the time ticked away...<p>

A sudden sound snapped her out of the story. The branches outside were rustling and she swore she had heard something moving. The sky outside was still very faintly orange, although the moon was already visible. Its silver light gave her a happy feeling inside. Then, she saw a foot, right there on the window-ledge. Two hands were holding on tight to the frame, until Shiki leapt gracefully into her bedroom. Charley laid her book aside in a instant, jumped up from her bed and was in his arms in a matter of seconds. Tears were running across her cheeks in mere happiness, but also in guilt of what she had done. She felt his embrace, warmly, though a little uncertain, just like him. She wished she could just turn back time, so the whole thing with Zero would never have happened. But she couldn't...

Shiki pushed her off him a little so he could face her. There it was again, the concern in his eyes.

"What happened to you..."

She felt a shock and she gasped. Had he already noticed? Was she that easy to read, after all? Charley wanted to utter an apologise, but there was no sound. Her throat suddenly felt thick, as if it were blocked off by something. Involuntarily, tears were starting to well up in her eyes. No... no, she shouldn't be crying. She fought against the sudden pain in her heart; through her tears, she saw Shiki's expression changing to shock. He embraced her, pressing her closely against his chest, stroking her head gently.

"Charley? What's wrong?"

"I... I..." her voice sounded hoarse. "Zero... I... I didn't... I'm so confused..."

"Calm down, please, stop crying... there's no need. I don't care what happened... I just want you to be happy, so please, calm down."

The quiet tone in which he spoke enabled her to catch her breath and fight the tears away. Shiki leant in and kissed them away from her face.

"It's alright," he whispered. "We should go sit down... come..." He half lifted her up from the ground and carried her to the bed, where he sat her down on his lap. Charley immediately wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. He sighed.

"Everybody is missing you," he said while he quietly rocked her from side to side. "Kaname never really leaves his office during his free hours. He's been looking into possible remedies for your... situation. And Aidou's been complaining that he wants a dog in the Dorm."

That last remark managed to make her smile slightly. Poor Aidou...

"I hope Kaname finds a way to solve me..." she said, later on realising how weird that sentence must've sounded.

"Yeah..." Shiki said and he kissed the top of her head. "We all do... but nobody wants to put you at risk. What he found up until now was not an option..."

"But... he did find a way then?"

"Sort of... but it's not safe... never mind, forget about it, I've got something for you." Shiki felt in his pocket for a second and pulled out a box of pocky. Charley could've known. Shiki would never go anywhere without them.

The vampire took one out and put it in his mouth, pressing the other side of it against her lips. She smiled and took it in her mouth, eating her way along until she reached his lips. To kiss him again was like seeing the first cherry blossoms of the season; it was sweeter than she could ever have hoped for.


	11. Finding Out

**Finding Out**

Charley woke up at sunrise, her head resting on something that moved, slowly. It took her a while to realise what it was that she was lying on – her brain had a hard time starting up in the mornings – before she planted a kiss on it. She lifted my head. Underneath her, Shiki lay, his eyes closed and his chest moving up and down in a rhythmic motion. He was fast asleep.

Charley wondered whether she had to wake him up. After all, he appeared to have been watching over her for the entire night while she had been sleeping. But she couldn't really leave him in her room to be found by any of her classmates – if she would, it would result in a disaster –. She placed a hand on the vampire's shoulder and rocked him gently. Shiki groaned, twisting his head to the right before he opened his eyes.

"Senri? ... hey, wake up..." It still felt awkward calling him by that name, but seeing as he had asked her to, Charley was trying. Shiki looked at her, blinked and slowly forced himself to sit up. He glanced outside through the window.

"It's already that late..." he murmured.

Charley hadn't had a lot of time to tell Shiki good-bye. She had to get dressed herself and get ready for breakfast, and he had to hurry back to the Moon Dorm, leaving her room the same way as he had come in. Watching him leave hurt Charley to no end, as if it would be the last time again, even though he had promised he'd come to visit her some day after. She sat at the table, just poking her fork at her bread, not actually eating. Demy had gone into her concerned state again as she watched her friend being like that. When she asked, Charley assured her it was nothing and forced herself to eat something.

During the day time, she was rather restless. Her concentration failed once more during classes and she found herself scribbling doodles in her notebook, until Yagari-san came over to her and woke her from her day dreams with a gentle touch. But she couldn't really help it; every single moment, the things Shiki had told her reverberated in her mind. Kaname was onto something... he had found something... but nobody wanted to put her at risk. What kind of risk? That they would kill her? She had been at that risk for a couple of years now, so that was not the point. The Night Class was keeping something from her, something to rid her from this werewolf-state, but probably Kaname had decided it unwise and was trying to find something else. But what if what they already found, would actually work? It'd be all over and nobody would have to worry any longer, right? And possibly she could forever live among the vampires. All it took was a little bit of rule-breaking, but she had done that before. The possibility of her operation to be a success was rather high if she'd manage to keep a low profile. Meaning she'd just had to be her wolvy self just once more. If it worked... if it really did... Thinking about it caused her to pull a grin during dinner time. Once again she attracted Demy's attention, the girl asking her if something was the matter. Charley just shook her head and continued eating, but much rather she'd have said, "Nothing is wrong, in fact everything just got a whole lot better."

The night had fallen. While the Night Class students were sitting around in the classroom, throwing bored glances at the black board in front of them, pretending to take notes, and Yuuki and Zero were both on patrol, something slipped throughout the bushes in the direction of the Moon Dorm. It barely made a sound, climbing onto trees and almost flying from spot to spot. Its ears twitched about, scanning the environment. Then, as soon as it had reached the white walls of the dorm, it slipped in through a window, carelessly left open.

Charley's eyes had to adjust to the light for a second. Some lamps had been left on in the Moon Dorm and in the chamber she was in now, it smelt of candles. She stuck her nose into the air and sniffed. No sign of life; the coast was clear. She trotted over to the door in front of her as fast as her legs could carry her and pushed it open with her nose. The hallway beyond was – to her delight – much darker. Following the familiar scent, Charley managed to find her way to Kaname's chambers and to open the door by jumping up and gripping the handle to pull it down. The room was dark and empty; she'd be safe now.

Allowing the wolf inside of her to slumber, Charley got back onto her feet and scurried over to the great mahogany desk on the other end of the room. As she had expected, it was covered with all sorts of books and papers – some of which didn't matter to her at all. She switched on the small light on the edge of the desk, feeling a bit of shock as she turned her glance back on the books. They were tomes about werewolves, about hunting them and about how they were made unnaturally, just like turning a human into a vampire, but the manner was far worse. There were pictures on the pages that made her feel sick; werewolves with their insides turned out, a pencil picture of a werewolf appearing to burst out of a human body and various photographs of guns and bullets, which could kill a werewolf. Trying hard not to look at them, Charley scanned the words on all those pages, trying to find what she was looking for, at all times keeping an ear listening to any possible sound coming from behind her, from the hallway.

Then, she found it.

"_A werewolf is a monster that takes on the shape of a human to live safely among them. However, they are not one thing. The wolf can be summoned forth at will and be put back to sleep when one desires. Yet, they can be separated. If the werewolf is killed when in their original shape, the human will not cease to exist. The process to accomplish this is, though, very dangerous... (...)"_

She needn't read anything more. Inside her head, plans were starting to develop. So her wolf had to die, hadn't it? She could try to bust in among the Night Class, wounding herself until they'd jump her and kill her. But that would break Shiki's heart, especially if he happened to be the one doing so. And Kaname would try to banish her from Cross Academy forever. No... there had to be another way... a better way... much more easy. And of course, there was such a way. A way which didn't involve drowning herself or killing herself by her own hand. Charley switched the light back off, a grin playing on her face, glittering white in the light of the moon shining through the window. The wolf inside of her let out a sigh as it was woken up once more. Only one thing would be crazy enough to go and kill her... only one thing... or more...

Yes, one may have thought it reckless, careless, suicide. Technically, it was suicide, but only for the better. And nothing would be able to stop her. Charley found herself jumping out of the window, running away like an arrow shot from a bow, away from the Academy, and straight toward her salvation. There was no other way to do this. This might even be her last chance ever. A devilish smirk appeared on her wolvy face as she headed straight into town.

She would go provoke the Level E...


	12. Suffocating

**Suffocating**

Something terrible struck Shiki in the middle of history class. He had jumped up from his chair within half a second, his eyes wide and his irises narrowed. His classmates around him had noticed it as well, the smell in the air and the realisation of its meaning. Shiki watched how Ichijou's eyes turned a shade of red next to him, his face growing pale, while Rima, who sat on his left, dropped a pocky from her mouth, looking shocked. He looked up at Kaname, who, like – meanwhile – all the other vampires, had the hungry red glow in his eyes. The vice-president stared back at him, his fists clenched together. And that's when the panic started...

Shiki and Kaname were the first to rush outside, where the smell was even worse, followed by Ichijou and Kain, who declared that, somehow, Aidou had fainted. Normally this would've been a funny fact, but at this moment, nobody even felt the urge to smile. Shiki fought hard against the feeling of blood thirst and was glad to be offered a blood pill by Ichijou.

From the shadows emerged a blanket-white Zero, the Bloody Rose drawn and trembling in his hand. He frowned in disgust seeing all of the Night Class standing outside, but realised also that whatever would have happened, he couldn't possibly deal with it all by himself.

"Senri, Takuma and Akatsuki will be coming along with me," Kaname announced in a hurried voice, looking his fellow vampires in the eye. "All the others will stay here in case something happens. When we come running back, we might be chased, so everybody stand ready."

"No, I won't just stand by and wait!" Zero stepped forward, his face filled with rage, clearly about to poke the gun into Kaname's chest. But the pure-blood reacted calmly.

"I understand your concern," he replied, "but there is no time to get into a discussion. It is too dangerous to take you along, Kiryuu-kun; the blood might drive you crazy. Stay here, we'll be back soon."

Shiki was off even before Kaname gave the sign for take off. He rushed on forward, headed straight into town. His stomach turned as the smell worsened and he was afraid of what he might find. But he would soon find her, probably along with a horde of Level E, trying to suck her clean dry. The footsteps behind him from the others standing right by him were a little reassuring. He blinked for a second, trying to fight back his hot tears.

_Charley... what have you done..._

* * *

><p>The scent of werewolf blood would've set any vampire's teeth on edge. The hungry yelps of Level E were becoming clearer and clearer really fast. They had got together in some alley in a rather deserted part of town where they were even fighting among each other. The four boys reached the spot within minutes, shivering against the thirst.<p>

"Don't touch the blood!" Kaname ordered. His voice was hoarse. The sound of a whiplash echoed in the air as Shiki – blinded by anger – slashed the first Level E into bits. The blade of Ichijou's katana was soon covered in blood as he hacked his way through the horde of beasts, who didn't even seem to notice him. They were all too much focussed on what was in front of them, lying bleeding on the street stones.

Shiki roared in rage as he spilt blood all around him, tearing off Level E limbs and smashing their faces against the walls, leaving a pile of gore behind. Tears trailed down his cheeks and his heart ached. It couldn't be too late. Not after all they'd been through. He watched Kain beside him, who burnt down two Level E at once and suddenly covered the area in flames. Ichijou ducked onto the survivors and slaughtered them with a clean cut at the throat. Even they had the tears in their eyes.

Shiki forced himself to push forward, toward Charley, as soon as he could. If he could just clear a path it should suffice, then he could get her out of there. But for every Level E he destroyed, two more took its place, trying to get to the girl he wanted to save. It was frustrating to no end and it scared him. He had to take a risk. He reeled in his whip and jumped, straight on top of a Level E, which collapsed, and onto the wall of one of the crumbled houses. From up there, he could easily see the spot that was drawing all those monsters; it wasn't so far away from where Ichijou was fighting.

His shoes scratched across the surface of the wall as he leapt down with all his might, straight into the centre. He breathed in, swept his arm back and struck. The horde opened up for a mere second as the Level E at the front lines fell dead. Shiki saw her in a flash; the red wolf lay bleeding on the stones, dead quiet and not moving at all. He hadn't much time. His fingers grabbed into her fur and lifted her from the ground over his shoulder as he lashed his whip at a street light and pulled himself away from the horde. She was safe now. Charley's body felt cold. Her breath was dangerously weak, but her heart was beating still. Suddenly the horde's attention fixed upon him, hissing violently, and clawing their way toward him as he landed onto a roof.

"Kaname!" he cried! "Hold 'em back, I've got her!"

"Run Senri!" screamed Ichijou from among the mob, his katana still slashing around. The Level E were trying to climb the buildings, which they did at a terrifying speed. They would have reached Shiki if he hadn't jumped straight across the street onto another roof. But as fast as he might be, the Level E could match him, especially now that he was taking their prey from them. They squealed and roared and crawled all over one another, leaping up against the walls, clawing at Shiki's feet. They tore his pants to shreds, but it wouldn't stop the slim model. He had to keep running, not looking back, just moving forward. Only when a Level E raked his claws into Shiki's back did he scream in pain and his vision flickered. This was enough for them monsters to get just a bit too close. A claw tore the tendon at his ankle and he slipped, thrown flat on his back, his own blood smearing across the stone. Some Level Es crashed into him, sinking their fangs into his body and into Charley's, who uttered an unconscious yelp of pain.

Shiki struggled to get them off him, but the pain he felt kept him from being able to think straight. He strangled Charley within his embrace, trying to shield her. His foot slipped off the edge of the building.

Suddenly he knew. The edge! If he'd just manage to roll off the edge... He turned his shoulders violently, shaking a few Level E off him and allowed his body to roll over and drop down. He felt how one Level E, which had had its fangs in his shoulder, fell along with him, his fangs breaking off, stuck in Shiki's body. The creature screamed terribly loud before it fell to its death, its body pierced by an iron tire lying among a pile of junk. Shiki stuck out his right foot and caught both his own and Charley's weight as he landed. His body was tired, completely worn out, but he had to move on. His injured foot barely carried him and he stumbled on, still chased by an angry horde of monstrous creatures, not only thirsty for Charley's but for his blood as well. His clothes were drenched with it. Leaping up again, using only one foot to launch himself, he ran across the buildings, relieved once the Cross Academy came into sight.

Something light shot past him and jumped right back into the horde chasing him. A familiar metallic sound gave him new hope.

"I've got your back!" shouted Ichijou's voice back at him. "Now go warn the others! This might get ugly!"


	13. Survival of the Fittest

**Survival of the Fittest**

With a rush of adrenaline empowering him, Shiki made for the woods surrounding the Academy. His bleeding foot left a trail of blood behind, making him easy for the Level E to follow, but they'd have to get through Ichijou first. The blonde had meanwhile been joined by Kain and Kaname who tried to fend the monsters off as much as they could.

Outside the Academy was a lot of noise, low murmurs and whispers, so the Day Class wouldn't wake up. Yagari-san and headmaster Cross had joined the commotion and were ordering the Night Class around to get ready for a fight. Zero was standing away from the crowd, at the front lines, the Bloody Rose clenched in his hand, his teeth grinding together and his heart pounding in his throat. They were coming closer, Shiki and Charley. Although it was a relief that they had retrieved her, he was praying from the ground of his heart that she had survived. The cries of the Level E were starting to get louder and the battle was nearly upon them.

Shiki could see them in the distance, his classmates, the headmaster, and the dark-haired vampire hunter, whom he, in fact, didn't like much at all. But at this moment it didn't matter. Kain had joined his side, kicking the Level E off that were getting too close. But inevitably, there would be a clash.

There was a clicking sound. Zero looked to his side, finding Yagari standing right next to him, his gun loaded and aimed at the Level E. The distance grew shorter and shorter...

Then, there was chaos...

Shiki was barely aware of the Night Class surrounding him or the bangs from the Bloody Rose and Yagari's gun or the sound of screeching Level E. Charley had almost stopped breathing and all he could focus on was making it through the door of the Dorm. Kaname appeared at his side, pushing him in. Ichijou followed, smeared with blood, while Kain remained outside, burning the Level E to ashes.

"Take the stairs down," Kaname ordered, pointing at a staircase that looked like a fire escape route. "They'll hold them off for a while. Ichijou, secure the entrance."

"I will!" replied the blonde, while Shiki said nothing and sprinted down the stairs and through a hallway. This part of the dorm wasn't used much at all and would be used only in times of great need. Which was now. There was no light to guide him, but it didn't matter; he could find his way. At the end of the hallway was a small chamber which may have been used as room to sit quietly even before the school library was built, after which it had become unnecessary. There was a plain sofa and a few arm chairs in the middle and a fireplace directly in front of them. As soon as Kaname had entered, he shut the door tightly behind them.

"Lay her down," he said. Shiki scurried over to the sofa and gently allowed Charley to drop down onto it. He knelt down beside her, as did Kaname, who ran his hands down her body.

"She's still alive," he declared and placed his wrist onto his mouth.

"Why would she do this," Shiki murmured, too much focussed on Charley's motionless body. Kaname bit through his own skin, pushed her mouth open and let drops of blood flow into it.

"She might've found out about how she can get rid of her werewolf side," Kaname replied. "But instead, she made things even worse." He pulled his wrist away from her again. "Senri, feed her blood, I'll be back." Shiki said nothing but faintly nodded before he nearly tore the skin off his hand and fed her while Kaname left the chamber running.

"Live Charley..." he whispered. "Live... live..."

* * *

><p>…<p>

… it felt so cold... like being covered with ice... and something felt uncomfortable...

Charley blinked. It was dark around her, as if it was night. The area around her smelt terrible; she recognised the scent of her own blood. Her skin felt sticky and sweaty and her left paw was hurting. Actually every single inch of her body was hurting, burning, but the ache in her paw was a blunt one and it felt off. She wanted to lift her head to see what it was, but her muscles didn't respond. Instead, it felt as if something tore her skin apart and she uttered a cry. But instead of it being a cry, it sounded more like a yelp, like a dog in pain. It startled her a little. Something touched her, something warm and soft. And there was voice, talking to her. Although she couldn't heard what was said, she recognised the deep sound of it.

"Senri..." she wanted to utter, but out came a faint bark. This startled her even more. Shiki's voice seemed to be saying her name and the soft thing touching her – which was obviously his hand – stroke down along her side. Her head felt a little light all of a sudden, but also quite clear. She could distinguish shapes in the dark room around her and she saw Shiki's face, quite close to her own.

"Charley... can you hear me? Charley!" She understood what he was saying now. She tried lifting her head slightly so she could nod; trying hurt and she whined. But at least Shiki had understood. His lips formed a sad smile.

"I'm glad..." he sighed.

Charley was suddenly very aware of the many injuries all over her body. Whenever she moved a muscle, a part of her skin would tear open and blood would flow. The heaviest injuries had been treated and large parts of her body were covered in bandages. The blunt pain in her left paw was caused by an IV, which replenished her blood.

In the room, along with Shiki, stood Kaname, with a warm smile on his face and Ichijou, with an expression of relief. Kain was there too, along with Aidou, who seemed to be rather pale. She sighed. Of course Zero wouldn't be there... as long as Kaname would be around her, he wouldn't even be allowed near her. Still somehow she wanted to see him, see if he was doing okay... But for now, Shiki was here and she knew she was safe. Even though her attempt to remove the only danger that separated them, had failed, she was happy to be with him now again. Of course he would get mad with her once she had recovered, but she'd beg for his forgiveness, do whatever he wanted. And Kaname... he might want to try to remove her from the Academy, but not as long as she was injured, so she'd have enough time to convince him – and headmaster Cross – to let her stay. It would work out, it would. If she'd be given another chance to rid herself of this wolf, she'd gladly take it.

Shiki petted her head and she let out a kind of purring sound.

"Don't ever go do something so reckless again..." he said. "I thought I'd lost you. Do you even realise how much you mean to me? Do you have the faintest idea of how much you hurt me?"

Charley whined; of course she had never wanted to hurt him. Shiki expressing this much emotion was by far out of the ordinary; it even scared her a little, made her feel ashamed of herself. She pushed her head closer to his hand and whined again, as if begging for him to forgive her.

"Shiki, leave her be, she's been through enough for now." Kaname stepped out forward toward them and knelt down by the sofa. Charley stared at him with deep brown eyes.

"I would've lectured you and scolded you hadn't you been lying here like this," the vice president sighed, his eyes expressing a sudden coldness. "I hope realise that maybe next time, we won't be there so save your life. But I, on my turn, realise now how much you are willing to give up. I'm in sincere doubt of what to do with you..."

Charley blinked. It was uncomfortable not to be able to say anything back. She forced her body to relax, to put the wolf back to a deep slumber in the corners of her being. But the wolf winced and fought back, stronger than her human side. An unconscious growl left her throat as she slightly panicked, her body twitching while struggling against the wolf, but it wouldn't leave her.

Shiki stood, facing her in horror. They realised the same thing at exactly the same moment; she couldn't change back!


End file.
